Anti-Tax Group Sues California For Delaying Recall Election

State Sen. Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, at the Capitol, Thursday, April 20, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif.

AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

A group backing the recall of Democratic state Senator Josh Newman is now suing the state of California for a new law it says is meant to protect the senator.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association filed the suit Thursday.

“It’s designed to keep Josh Newman in office, and we think it’s highly inappropriate,” says Jon Coupal, president of the association. “The recall procedure was intended to be a quick procedure to be able to remove quickly—not having to wait until the end of a legislator’s term—to remove them from office.”

The law requires a study of election costs and a waiting period where voters can withdraw their names from a recall petition.

Democratic lawmakers passed the measure as the California Republican Party seeks Newman’s removal, after he voted for the state’s new gas tax. The law only applies to recalls, not ballot initiatives or referendums.

Backers of the law argue it protects voters from false claims by signature-gatherers that a recall would repeal the tax.

Newman was elected in November to a seat long held by Republicans, giving Democrats a supermajority in the Senate.

As the State Government Reporter, Ben covers California politics, policy and the interaction between the two. He previously reported on local and state politics, business, energy, and environment for WFAE in Charlotte, North Carolina. Read Full Bio